How Stephen Lynch chooses what to read

Stephen Lynch is the Head of Strategy and Consulting for RESULTS.com and the author of Business Execution for Results. He was two other distinctions that are relevant here. First, he has the most interesting bio of anyone I know and, second, he is incredibly disciplined in his choices about everything, including what he reads.

How Stephen Lynch chooses which books to read

I learned long ago not to blindly buy whatever the latest bestseller happens to be. I’ve seen numerous examples of authors with large social media followings, and public speakers with large audiences urging their disciples to “game” the Amazon bestseller list. I’ve been burned too many times by books high on hype, but low on substance.

These days, I look for curated recommendations from people I trust and admire. I pay close attention to recommendations from people like Wally Bock, people who have read hundreds of business books over the years and know how to sort the wheat from the chaff.

Most of my favorite books in recent years have nothing to do with business. Many of them I learned about from Bill Gates‘ annual recommended reading list. Bill thinks on a completely different scale than most of us and his book recommendations will typically expand my thinking. As the saying goes, “The mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions”.